Dry Eye
This condition can be very aggravating and
perplexing. Your eyes may feel sandy or gritty during the day. For
some it is like sandpaper in their eyes. Others have reflex
tearing. This condition is known as dry eye, ocular surface disease and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Dry
eye has no known cure but symptoms can be managed. Our
questionnaire can help you to understand if you
have this condition. A
Ocular Surface Disease
questionnaire helps to quantify the problem. Several responses of "commonly" and
"always" usually will indicate dry eye problems.
Testing
and treatment is directed toward volume and quality of the tear
film.
An excellent description of dry eye and strategies for treatment is found in the Handbook of Ocular Disease Management and Therapeutic Management of Dry Eye (PDF article)
Nutritional intervention can be very beneficial with dry eyes. ScienceBased Health offers HydroEye that contains a proprietary blend of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and other important nutrients.
Artificial tears that are successful in mild to moderate dry eye are Mini Drops, TheraTears and Systane.
Punctum plugs have become the mainstay and gold standard treatment for dry eye. Information about these plugs is available from the manufacturers. They include: Smart Plug, Odyssey, Oasis, and Eagle.
A new strategy for treatment is RestasisTM (cyclosporin). This medication has recently been approved for dry eye management and is needed only two times per day.
Additional
Link:
Optometric Clinical Practice Guideline for the Care of the Patient with Ocular
Surface Disease
100 North Rancho Road, Suite #1
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone (805)495-3937 Fax (805)373-9843
E-Mail